Crate-based fire starter solutions

ABSTRACT

Embodiments are related to a crate-based fire starter structure. The crate-based fire starter structure includes a crate housing having combustible material. Interior layers include an ignition material and at least one tier of kindling lattice, the at least one tier of kindling lattice being positioned laterally in the crate housing and being suspended over a base. At least one lock-in element is positioned at the top of the crate housing.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to methods and structures for fire starter solutions, and more specifically, to crate-based fire starter solutions and products.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to crate-based fire starter solutions and products. A non-limiting structure includes a crate housing comprising combustible material. The structure includes interior layers comprising an ignition material and at least one tier of kindling lattice, the at least one tier of kindling lattice being positioned laterally in the crate housing and being suspended over a base. Also, the structure includes at least one lock-in element at a top of the crate housing.

A non-limiting method of using a crate-based fire starter structure includes positioning the crate-based fire starter structure at a location, the crate-based fire starter structure comprising an ignition material and at least one tier of kindling lattice, the at least one tier of kindling lattice being positioned laterally in the crate housing and being suspended over a base of the crate-based fire starter structure. The non-limiting method includes igniting the ignition material.

Other embodiments of the present invention implement features of the above-described structure and method in various products.

Additional technical features and benefits are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed subject matter. For a better understanding, refer to the detailed description and to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The specifics of the exclusive rights described herein are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the embodiments of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2A depicts an assembled perspective view of the crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of the crate-based fire starter structure taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3A depicts example notch types available for use in a kindling lattice according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3B depicts use of an example notch type with kindling lattice tier assembly types and interlocking variations according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4A depicts an example crate geometry option for a crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4B depicts an example crate geometry option for a crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4C depicts an example crate geometry option for a crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4D is a table illustrating various configurations for whether a particular surface or set of surfaces has slats according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4E depicts slots in slats that serve to suspend tiers of kindling lattice according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts example lock-in elements that can be utilized in an example crate-based fire starter structure to secure tiers of kindling lattice within the interior of the crate according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6A depicts a perspective view of an assembled crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6B depicts a side view of an assembled crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6C depicts a cross-sectional view of primary air flow and secondary air flow for a crate-based fire starter structure with enhanced elevation according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7A depicts a crate-based fire starter structure with an example company logo according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7B depicts a crate-based fire starter structure in a blaze phase according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts a package for a crate-based fire starter structure within a mailer together with matches according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method of lighting a crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a top-down view of an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an image capturing an exterior of the base of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 15A is an image of disassembled interior elements of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 15B is an image of an assembled first tier of kindling lattice mounted on suspension elements of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 15C is an image of assembled first and second tiers of kindling lattice mounted on suspension elements of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 15D is an image of assembled first and second tiers of kindling lattice mounted on suspension elements of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more embodiments of the invention provide structures and methods for crate-based fire starter solutions and products. One or more embodiments provide a lite-and-go indoor/outdoor fire starter using a crate-based fire starter structure that enables rapid lit-to-blaze progression (e.g., less than (<) 30 seconds). A blaze or reaching blaze progression refers to a fire capable of sustaining itself using the currently available combustible material, which is the crate-based fire starter structure, without requiring further assistance, and capable of igniting larger pieces of firewood or logs. According to one or more embodiments, the design exploits a structure of a crate, which has been modified to offer an ideal foundation for rapidly growing a fire, as combined with a set of unique interior layers that fuel fire progression as described herein. Particularly, the interior layers may include an ignition layer, such as for example excelsior, at the bottom of the crate with one to multiple tiers of kindling lattice above. The tiers of kindling lattice are supported by interior suspension elements, for example brackets, pockets, slots, and/or notches. Collectively, these crate-based fire starter solutions of one or more embodiments offer several technical advantages and benefits over existing products on the market. According to one or more embodiments, various advantages and benefits may include all of, any one of, and/or any subset of all of the advantages discussed below.

More operationally agnostic environmental conditions. The crate design of the crate-based fire starter structure provides a rigid and protective framework for starting a fire in multiple environments, including on moist surfaces, such as wet or muddy substrates without the requirement of surface preparation.

Optimizable air flow. Similar to a woodburning stove design, the air gaps (spaces between the crate slats) at the bottom of the crate-based fire starter structure can act as a primary air feed, drawing air into and up through the crate, while the air gaps on the sides of the crate-based fire starter structure enable a secondary burn, drawing in cooler ambient air from the sides of the crate that is forced over the interior fire. These features work together to maximize flame-nurturing air flow to the lit contents within the interior of the crate-based fire starter structure, resulting in a tall vertical flame that forms quickly and acts to effectively ignite larger pieces of firewood added to the crate as desired.

Wind resistant. While the air gaps optimize airflow, the sides of the crate-based fire starter structure and crate slats offer a degree of protection for the growing fire, providing a stronger degree of wind resistance compared to solutions that are exposed to the open environment. This is particularly useful when first igniting a fire, where wind and other environmental conditions can easily extinguish a small flame.

No setup time required. The prepacked interior layers and crate design of the crate-based fire starter structure offer a consistent and reliable, lite-and-go solution with no setup time required. To achieve this reliability, several prepackaged layers of material provide a progression of fuel for the growing flames with increasingly sustained burn times as the user ascends upward through the stack, allowing combustion to rapidly evolve from the ignition to blaze phases without the need for manual addition of separate combustible components, such as excelsior, fatwood, kindling, etc. These interior layers are comprised of an ignition layer, such as excelsior wood shavings, and one to multiple tiers of kindling lattice with lattice tiers progressing from thinner cut wood to thicker wood pieces (from bottom to top). In other words, a lower kindling lattice has thinner pieces of wood than a higher kindling lattice, such that each higher tier of kindling lattice uses thicker pieces of wood than its adjacent lower tier. In one or more embodiments, the progression from thinner cut pieces of wood to thicker cut pieces of wood in the tiers of kindling lattice can be repeated or interrupted. In one or more embodiments, there can be several tiers of kindling lattice, where there are three tiers of progressing thickness (e.g., the first tier of kindling lattice is thin, second tier is thicker (than the first), third tier is the thickest (of the first and second tiers) and three more tiers above that repeat the same motif/pattern (e.g., the fourth tier of kindling lattice is thin, fifth tier is thicker (than the fourth), sixth tier is the thickest (of the fourth and fifth tiers). This might allow the fire to progress more quickly through the tiered stack. Although examples are discussed of how the tiers of kindling lattice may progress in thickness, it is contemplated that various progressions in thickness for the tiers of kindling lattice may be utilized, where some may repeat a previous motif/pattern and/or have a different progression of thickness for subsequent tiers of kindling lattice that is different than a previous progression of thickness. In one or more embodiments, there may be a single tier of kindling lattice, two tiers of kindling lattice, etc. The tiers of kindling lattice are secured in place by suspension elements, by brackets that are attached to the interior of the crate walls, by pockets, slots, or notches cut into the sides of the crate, and/or by notches cut into at least a portion of the kindling lattice itself.

Robust structure. The suspension elements together with notches in at least a portion of the kindling lattice where a crate-base fire starter structure has more than one tier of kindling and exterior crate elements, provide an overall robust structure capable of withstanding even harsh shipping and handling events. In one or more embodiments that have a single tier of kindling lattice (e.g., a one-tier system), the suspension elements and exterior crate elements may be sufficient to contain or immobilize the single tier, and the notches may not be cut in the kindling lattice.

Tailor-by-design burn-time. The crate-based fire starter structure can be constructed out of disparate materials, for example, different types of wood (such as, e.g., moss wood, heart pine, cedar, spruce, willow, cotton wood, apple, oak, hickory, maple, black locust, mulberry, elm, sycamore, birch, pecan, cherry, osage orange, etc.) and/or other combustible materials with tailored dimensions and lattice spacing to control the burn progression, process, and burn time of the crate-based fire starter structure. The type, or species, of wood(s) used in the construction of the crate-based fire starter structure has a direct impact on these outcomes. Soft woods, or lower density woods, such as pine, cedar, and spruce, ignite easier, but do not burn as hot or as long as hardwoods, such as oak, hickory, osage orange, etc.; however, these hardwoods take longer to ignite. Additionally, increasing the thickness of the kindling and/or other elements that make up the crate housing or exterior crate elements increase the burn duration of the crate-based fire starter structure but take longer to ignite, while using thinner wood dimensions have the opposite effect. Further, the size of the crate, thickness of the individual elements, and density of kindling lattice and number of tiers may determine the size of the fire, which also impacts the burn progression, process, and burn time of the crate-based fire starter structure. Taken together, the type of wood(s) used, thicknesses of the various wooden elements, such as thickness of the tiers of kindling lattice and other exterior elements, and overall dimensions of the crate and number and density of the tiers of kindling lattice can be tuned individually, as a subset, or collectively to control the burn-time and experience. Any of the factors discussed above can be tuned to tailor the burn time of the crate-based fire starter. More particularly, one or more embodiments can adjust the wood species (or wood type), (initial) fire size, and wood thickness, which can increase as the number and density of the tiers increases, as the control levers for controlling burn time and progression. Furthermore, kiln dried wood (low moisture content, below 15-20%) is generally used.

Unique aesthetic appeal. The crate-based fire starter structure also presents a unique aesthetic look and feel to the fireside experience not currently available in existing products on the market. The crate-based fire starter structure can also easily be bundled together with a fire igniter, such as matches, using, for example, a mailer box, and kiln-dried wood logs in a box to provide an all-in-one solution.

Known products have the following disadvantages (which may apply individually or additively to other fire starter options): may require surface preparation if starting surface has high moisture content, for example, wet or muddy conditions; not air flow enabled, burn progression proceeds slowly; less resistant to fire extinguishing winds; manual setup time required to bring the fire to a blaze (i.e., the fire must often be nurtured by the addition of multiple materials, such as excelsior, fatwood, and kindling); and many solutions, particularly those not made of pure wood, such as fire logs and fuel tablets, have an unnatural feel and thus lack appeal for some consumers.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a crate-based fire starter structure 100 according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 1 illustrates components, including interior components. FIG. 2A depicts an assembled perspective view of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of the crate-based fire starter structure taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A according to one or more embodiments. The crate-based fire starter structure 100 may also be referred to as the fire starter structure, fire starter, structure, crate, and/or crate structure. The crate-based fire starter structure 100 may include the following features and elements, and reference can be made to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B where appropriate.

Exterior end pieces 108 of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 are connected by an array of wider slats 104, narrower bottom slats 102, and narrower side slats 103 that are separated by some distance(s) creating respective air gaps 106, 107 between them. The wider slats 104 are wider than the narrower slats 102, 103. In one or more embodiments, the slats 102, 103, 104 may be of equal or disparate dimensions. The air gaps 106 between the slats 102, 104 may be of equal or disparate distances. The air gaps 107 between the slats 103 may be of equal or disparate distances.

Interior suspension elements 110 are shown as brackets with narrow dado cuts or trenches 111A and wide dado cuts or trenches 111B notched into one side of the interior suspension elements 110, where the interior suspension elements 110 are attached to the exterior end pieces 108 from the interior of the crate structure 100. The wide dado cuts or trenches 111B are wider than the narrow dado cuts or trenches 111A.

An ignition layer 112 covers the bottom of the crate interior of the crate-based fire starter structure 100. The ignition layer 112 is made of a combustible material(s), such as excelsior. The purpose of this material(s) is to rapidly grow and spread a new flame uniformly over the entire crate floor thereby igniting the one to multiple tiers of kindling lattice above. Although the ignition layer 112 is illustrated as a rectangular-shaped material, the ignition layer 112 can take on any form and/or shape. In some instances, the ignition layer 112 may not be a rectangular shape but may be excelsior material (e.g., wood shavings) in a loose straw-like form.

A first-tier lattice 113 is constructed out of thinner pieces of kindling 118 and thicker pieces of kindling 120 as well as patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 with trench cuts 116. The thinner pieces of kindling 118 are thinner than the thicker pieces of kindling 120 along the x axis. The trenches 116 in the patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 serve as pockets to brace a second tier of thickest-cut kindling 122. The thicker pieces of kindling 114 and 120 in the first-tier lattice 113 and the thinner pieces of kindling 118 in the first-tier lattice 113 can be slotted into the wide dado cuts or trenches 111B and the narrow dado cuts or trenches 111A, respectively, formed in the brackets, which collectively make up the interior suspension elements 110 as shown in FIG. 2B.

Kindling is an easily ignited material, such as dry sticks of wood, used to start a fire. Regionally, kindling is called fatwood, lightwood, fat pine, pitch pine, etc. Kindling may be similar to tinder but differs in several ways. Tinder only creates a short-lived fire. Kindling is slightly larger than tinder and refers to any ignitable material that is larger than tinder but smaller than firewood. Most people use small sticks for kindling, which ignite more quickly than the firewood and burn for longer than the tinder.

A second-tier kindling lattice 121 is formed of the thickest cut kindling 122 that can be slotted into the trench cuts 116 of the patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114, resting above and/or in contact with the tops of the thicker pieces of kindling 120 and thinner pieces of kindling 118 of the first-tier lattice 113. In the case where the thickest cut pieces of kindling 122 rest above the tops of the thicker pieces of kindling 120 and thinner pieces of kindling 118, the thickest cut pieces of kindling 122 may not be in contact with the thicker pieces of kindling 120 and thinner pieces of kindling 118. The thickest cut pieces of kindling 122 in the second-tier lattice 121 are thicker than the pieces of kindling 118, 120 in the first-tier lattice 113. Thickness for a piece of kindling is measured perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the piece of kindling, because the length of an individual piece of kindling in the kindling lattice is greater than its width.

Lock-in elements 124 are utilized to secure the first-tier lattice 113 and second-tier lattice 121 within the crate-based fire starter structure when fastened to the top of the exterior crate structure 100.

A decorative top-side, center slat 126 includes a larger circular center 128, which may bare a company logo 710 (e.g., depicted in FIG. 7A) or other design. The decorative top-side, center slat 126 is fastened in place to the top of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 as shown in the assembled perspective view in FIG. 2A. Although a design or company logo 710 may be formed on the circular center 128, it should be appreciated that one or more designs or logos can be formed anywhere on the crate-based fire starter structure.

Although FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B illustrate many features and elements of the crate structure 100, it should be appreciated that one or more embodiments are not meant to be limited. Rather, one or more embodiments may have fewer or more features and elements and can be further broadened and generalized. For example, the following elements may be added to and/or modified in the crate-based fire starter structure 100.

1) The number of tiers in the interior lattice, which are illustrated as the two lattices shown as the first-tier lattice 113 and second-tier lattice 121, may be changed. For example, the number of tiers may range from any number, such as from one up to ten tiers in an example case. There could be three tiers, four tiers, five tiers, etc. These interior lattices of kindling progress from thinner cut wood pieces to thicker wood pieces (from bottom to top). As such, if there are four tiers, the first-tier kindling lattice 113 includes pieces of kindling that are thinner than the pieces of kindling in second-tier kindling lattice 121. The pieces of kindling in a third-tier kindling lattice (not shown) are thicker than the pieces of kindling in the second-tier kindling lattice 121 and can be formed to have the same or nearly the same construction as the first-tier kindling lattice 113. The pieces of kindling in a fourth-tier kindling lattice (not shown) are thicker than the pieces of kindling in the third-tier kindling lattice and can be formed to have the same or nearly the same construction as the second-tier kindling lattice 121. As noted herein, in one or more embodiments, some of the tiers of kindling lattice may have a repeating motif/pattern and therefore may not continue a progression of thicker cut pieces of wood from the first tier of kindling lattice to the last tier of kindling lattice; instead the progression repeats itself. In one or more embodiments, the tiers of kindling lattice may progress in thickness for a few tiers and then discontinue the progression of thicker cut pieces of wood in the remaining tiers, such that the remaining tiers of kindling lattice have the same thickness for the pieces of wood.

2) There are many techniques that can be utilized for stacking and securing tiers of kindling lattice. Stacking and securing tiers of the kindling lattice can be implemented through the use of physical notches and nested or interlocking motifs.

3) The number of patterned pieces of kindling (such as patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114) within a single tier used to secure adjacent tiers of kindling lattice may be added to and/or modified. The first-tier kindling lattice 113 is illustrated with two patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114. In one or more embodiments, there can be more than two patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114, such as three, four, five, six, etc. As more tier lattices are added, any tier lattice can have any number of patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114.

4) The geometry of the exterior crate housing footprint can be modified. The exterior create housing footprint is not limited to a square shape or rectangular shape. The geometry of the exterior crate housing footprint can be a triangle shape or many-sided polygon (as depicted in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C), and physical dimensions of the same may also be modified. A many-sided polygon as used herein refers to a polygon with a number of sides greater than four in the polygon's two dimensional representation.

5) There can be changes or modifications in the number of sides of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 with slats 103 versus those sides that are solid or monolithic having no air gaps 107, such as solid or monolithic sides comprised of exterior end pieces 108. There can be more or all sides of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 that are slats 103, while having fewer or none, respectively, that are solid or monolithic such as exterior end pieces 108. Conversely, there can be more or all sides of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 that are solid or monolithic such as exterior end pieces 108, while having fewer respectively that are slats 103.

6) There can be variations or modifications in the methods of suspending the tiered lattice structure. Tier brackets are depicted in FIG. 1 . As a surrogate for the interior suspension elements 110, another implementation may use cuts or slots 442 patterned directly into the slats 440 (depicted in FIG. 4E), which would replace the interior suspension elements 110 as an alternate implementation of a suspension element.

7) There can be more or a fewer number of notches or cuts 116 in the patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 as depicted in the first-tier lattice 113 to increase or decrease the density of thickest-cut kindling 122 pieces in the second-tier kindling lattice 121 or accommodate crates of smaller or larger dimensions. Also, there can be an increase or decrease in the number and percent of patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 that comprise a single tier compared to the number and percent of thicker pieces of kindling 120.

8) There can be variations or modifications in the position, shape, and design of the lock-in elements 124, which can depend on the number of tiers and orientation of the first-tier kindling lattice.

9) There can be an increase or decrease in the dimensions of the crate-based fire starter 100 and its elements, such as slats 102, 103, 104, air gaps 106, 107, etc.

10) There can be the addition of elevation elements at the base of the crate exterior to elevate the bottom exterior crate housing for improved primary air flow through the air gaps 106 at the bottom of the crate structure 100.

11) There can be the addition of handles on the exterior end pieces 108, lock-in elements 124, and/or narrower slats 103.

12) There can be variations or modifications in the mechanisms of assembly including application of different forms of wood joinery, adhesives, and/or fasteners or combinations thereof.

13) There are many options for crate-based fire starter bundling and packaging to produce an out-of-the-box solution.

Further details are provided for methods of stacking and securing tiers of kindling lattice in the crate-based fire starter structure 100. The number of tiers, such as the first-tier kindling lattice 113, the second-tier kindling lattice 121, third-tier kindling lattice (not shown), fourth-tier kindling lattice (not shown), etc., in the interior lattice may be varied depending on several factors, for example, the crate size, desired burn height, burn duration, speed of fire progression, etc. The third-tier lattice, etc., may be added using nested or interlocking configuration(s) between adjacent tiers as illustrated in FIG. 3B and described hereafter. To maintain the lattice tiers as a ridge scaffold, which produce a reliable and consistent burn experience and are robust for shipping and handling, the position of the tiers and elements that form them are to be secured, for example, by fasteners, adhesive, a lashing element, and/or by use of physical notches patterned into a least some of the lattice pieces, for example, two pieces, in at least some tiers, such as one or more tiers. Securing the elements in the tier lattices may be desirable when the number of tiers is greater than one; however, when there is only one tier of kindling lattice, the interior suspension elements 110 and the lock-in elements 124 are all that is needed. In one or more embodiments, physical notches may be preferable, although not a necessity, to fasteners, adhesive, or lashings because of the comparative speed of assembly, the lack of harmful byproducts when burned, and/or the fact that certain fasteners are not combustible, leaving behind unconsumed material. For one or more embodiments of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 with more than one tier where notches are used, the notches may be rough cut or cut into reliable and reproducible shapes, such as circular shapes 302, v-groove shapes 304, and/or dado shapes 306 as depicted in FIG. 3A, where the shape of the kindling itself may match these various cut shapes to provide a more secure fit. Due to ease of manufacturing, a dado shape is depicted in the configuration of FIG. 3B to illustrate the manner in which these cuts may be applied to adjacent tiers, although other cut shapes may be utilized. FIG. 3B depicts example techniques of stacking and securing tiers of kindling lattice for the crate structure 100 according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 3B illustrates example configurations of pre-assembly and post-assembly for a single-side nested configuration 308, a single-side interlocking configuration 312, a double-side nested configuration 316, and a double-side interlocking configuration 320. In FIG. 3B, the upper portion in each configuration illustrates pre-assembly while the lower portion illustrates post-assembly.

In the single-side nested configuration 308, a patterned piece of material 310B, for example, patterned with a dado cut 306, is used to slot an unpatterned piece of material 310A. The single-side nested configuration 308 is applicable to and/or may be utilized to form an arrangement similar to the first tier patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 that serve as pockets to brace a second tier of thickest-cut kindling 122 in one or more embodiments of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 shown in FIG. 1 . The single-sided nested configuration 308 immobilizes the unpattern piece of material 310A in one and half dimensions/direction (e.g., in the y and −z axes/directions). The exterior crate features, such as interior suspension elements 110, end pieces 108, slats 103 and lock-in elements 124, can be used in this configuration to restrain the unpatterned piece of material 310A further in the x and +z axes/directions to achieve three-dimensional immobilization of the unpatterned piece of material 310A.

For a single-side interlocking configuration 312 in FIG. 3B, there are two patterned pieces, each with a notch, one patterned piece of material 314A above and one patterned piece of material 314B below, where the notches align to form an interlocking joint that holds both pieces rigidly in place in two and half dimensions (e.g., in the x, y directions for the pieces of material 314A and 314B and further in the −z direction for 314A and +z direction for material 314B). The interior suspension elements 110 and lock-in elements 124 can be used in the single-side interlocking configuration 312 to further restrain both pieces of material 314A, 314B to achieve three-dimensional immobilization of the same.

A double-side nested configuration 316 in FIG. 3B resembles the single-side nested configuration 308 but with a second lower-level, unpatterned piece of material 318C below the patterned piece of material 318B and a higher-level unpatterned piece of material 318A above, where the patterned piece of material 318B has a dado cut on both sides. Although the two dado cuts are shown on-axis in the double-side nested configuration 316 of FIG. 3B, the two dado cuts may reside off-axis from each other (not shown). This double-side nested configuration 316 holds both unpattern pieces of material 318A, 318C rigidly in place in one and half dimensions (e.g., in the y and −z axes/directions for the unpatterned piece of material 318A and in the y and +z axes/directions for the unpatterned piece of material 318C), thereby enabling three-tier lattice support. The exterior crate features, such as interior suspension elements 110, end pieces 108, slats 103 and/or lock-in elements 124, can be used in this configuration to further restrain the unpatterned pieces of material 318A, 318C to achieve three-dimensional immobilization of the unpatterned pieces of the same.

A double-side interlocking configuration 320 in FIG. 3B resembles the single-side interlocking configuration 312 but with a second lower-level, patterned piece of material 320C below the center patterned piece of material 320B and a higher-level patterned piece of material 320A above, where the center patterned piece of material 320B has a dado cut on both sides. Although the two dado cuts are shown on-axis for the double-side interlocking configuration 320, the two dado cuts may reside off-axis from each other (not shown). The double-side interlocking configuration 320 holds both patterned pieces of material 320A, 320C rigidly in place in two and half dimensions (e.g., x, y, and −z axes/directions for the patterned piece of material 320A and x, y, and +z axes/directions for patterned pieces of material 320C). The interior suspension elements 110 and lock-in elements 124 can be used in this double-side interlocking configuration 320 to further restrain all of the pieces of material 320A, 320B, 320C in three-dimensions, thereby offering immobilization of the same.

One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate and use the core configurations illustrated in FIG. 3B in order to form a crate-based fire starter 100 with four or more tiers of kindling lattice; for example, four or more tiers of kindling lattice can be formed by adding notched, patterned pieces above the top-most tier of kindling lattice, by creating double-side notches in the top-most tier pieces of kindling lattice similar to what is shown for the piece of materials 318B and 320B, and/or by both by adding the notched, patterned pieces above the top-most tier of kindling lattice and creating the double-side notches in the top-most tier pieces of kindling lattice. This results in interlocking joints with additive tiers formed. This process can be iteratively pursued ad infinitum (repeatedly) to achieve a desired tier height and/or number of tiers. Variations of the configurations shown in FIG. 3B may be applied by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a patterned piece of material 310B in one tier may be stacked on top of an identical patterned piece of material 310B in an adjacent tier both with the notch oriented in the +z direction (not shown), in one or more embodiments. This results in nested joints with additive tiers formed. This process can be iteratively pursued ad infinitum (repeatedly) to achieve a desired tier height and/or number of tiers.

Further details are now provided regarding the number of patterned pieces of kindling within any single tier of kindling lattice. The number of patterned pieces of kindling, similar/analogous to the patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 with trench cuts 116 in one or more embodiments of the crate-based fire starter structure 100, can range from having every piece of kindling be patterned pieces of kindling within a given tier to having as few as two pieces of kindling within a given tier for tiers that have patterned pieces of kindling. In other words, having only one patterned piece of kindling within a given tier containing patterned pieces of kindling may not sufficiently brace the adjacent tiers in all three dimensions. Tiers of kindling lattice with patterned pieces of kindling become beneficial when the total number of tiers becomes greater than one, for example, two, three, four, or five tiers and so on. Having more than two patterned pieces of kindling per tier containing patterned pieces of kindling is within the scope of one or more embodiments of the invention but is not necessary to achieve three-dimensional immobilization of the adjacent tier(s).

More details are provided regarding the number of notches and/or cuts in the patterned pieces of kindling. The number of trench cuts and/or dado cuts in patterned pieces of kindling for tiers that have patterned pieces of kindling, similar/analogous to the patterned thicker pieces of kindling 114 with trench cuts 116 in one or more embodiments of the crate-based fire starter structure 100, may range from one cut to many cuts, for example, up to 20 cuts, 30 cuts, or more. The number of cuts should be equivalent to the number of pieces of kindling in the adjacent tier(s), which are braced by those same cuts.

Turning to further details regarding the geometry of the exterior crate housing footprint, the example footprint of the exterior crate design for the crate-based fire starter structure 100 is rectangular as depicted in FIG. 1 . It is contemplated that one or more embodiments can have other geometric footprints. FIG. 4A depicts a square design footprint 404 for the crate-based fire starter structure 100. Although the rectangular design footprint is a four-sided polygon, design footprints can have less or more than four sides in their two-dimensional representation. FIG. 4B depicts a triangular design footprint 402. FIG. 4C depicts a hexagonal design footprint 406, showing that the design footprint can include polygons with sides greater than four (e.g., sides >four). Particularly, additional geometries may have five, six, seven, eight, or nine sides or more, which can be used in a particular crate fire starter design of the crate-based fire starter structure 100. These additional geometries visualized in three dimensions may include a side or sides constructed out of a solid monolithic piece of material, like the exterior end pieces 108 of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 or may include all sides of the crate having slats 103. Particularly, FIG. 4B illustrates a triangle-shaped design with two solid surfaces as exterior end pieces in view 412 and no solid surfaces but instead slats in view 422.

FIG. 4A illustrates a square-shaped design with two solid surfaces as exterior end pieces in view 414 and no solid surfaces but instead slats in view 424. FIG. 4C illustrates a hexagonal design with three solid surfaces as exterior end pieces in view 416 and no solid surface but instead slats in view 426. The number of sides with solid surfaces for a design with a two-dimensional footprint having M total sides can range incrementally from zero solid surfaces to n solid surfaces, wherein n can be any number from zero, one, two, three, up to M; when n solid surfaces equal M total sides (e.g., n=M), this means that the crate has all M sides as solid surfaces.

Further details are provided regarding the number of sides of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 with slats versus those that are solid or monolithic (i.e., no air gaps). The set of possible cases for sides of a crate having any number of sides greater than two, with sides being either monolithic or having slats are described in table 450 in FIG. 4D. In table 450 of FIG. 4D, ‘yes’ and ‘no’ refer to whether or not a particular surface has slats or not. In other words, ‘no’ mean no slats, i.e., solid surface, while ‘yes’ means a surface(s) with slats. The only case not shown in the table 450 of FIG. 4D is a configuration where no surface has slats either on the sides or bottom of the crate. The reason for excluding such as case is that such an embodiment may inhibit a benefit of air flow because focused air flow to the interior flames would be prevented and lighting the ignition layer 112 would also be more difficult.

More details are provided regarding methods of suspending the tiered lattice structure, i.e., the various tiers of kindling lattice. With modifications to the number of crate sides and number of sides with slats, additional or modified elements may be utilized to suspend multiple tiers of kindling lattice. For example, in the case with all sides having slats and/or with only one side having a solid surface, brackets as interior suspension elements 110 may not be as useful in one or more embodiments. As a replacement or surrogate option for one or more embodiments, slots 442, such as a dado, cut vertically and only partially through the height of certain slats 440 could serve as a means to suspend the tier(s) of kindling lattice, thereby broadening the options to suspend the lattice tier(s) as surrogates for the interior suspension elements 110 as depicted in FIG. 4E. Additionally, vertical inside supports 430 may be used to make the crate design more robust as depicted in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, particularly for cases where the total number of sides with a solid surface is less than two as one example, or for cases where the total number of solid sides, s, is less than half of the total number of all sides, M (i.e., s<½ M).

Turning to additional details regarding the position, shape, and design of the lock-in elements 124, in one or more embodiments, the position of the lock-in element 124 of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 can depend on number of tiers of kindling lattice and the orientation of the first tier of kindling lattice within the crate-based fire starter structure 100. FIG. 5 depicts several lock-in elements 124, 510, 520, 530 that may be utilized in the crate-based fire starter structure 100 to secure the tiers of kindling lattice within the interior of the crate. The exact shape of these lock-in elements depicted in FIG. 5 may vary from what is shown depending on the number of sides present in a particular crate design, and the example categories are meant to be illustrative rather than exhaustive for different lock-in elements. For the square-shaped crate example, the lock-in elements may be horizontal in orientation (e.g., along the longitudinal axis or y-axis) as depicted by the lock-in elements 124, the lock-in elements may be lateral in orientation (e.g., the x axis) as depicted by the lock-in elements 510, the lock-in elements may use a framed design as depicted by lock-in elements 520, or the lock-in elements may contain a cutout feature, such as a hole, depicted by the lock-in element 530, where the lock-in element 530 contains a hole(s) pattern 532 therein that may differ in shape from the geometry of the lock-in element 530 and crate footprint, for example, a circle compared to a square shape. This hole pattern 532 may take the form of other shapes as well, such as a triangle or polygon shape or may include multiple holes (i.e., multiple hole patterns 532) having the same or different shapes. Beyond performing the function of securing the interior elements in place, the lock-in element 530 utilizing the hole pattern 532 allows for more refined control of the flame shape emitted from the top of the crate when burning and hence offer a more customized burn experience.

More details are provided regarding dimensions of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 and its elements including end pieces, slats, air gaps, and lock-in elements. In addition to the structural and design variations discussed herein, the dimensions of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 itself and the elements that comprise it may include a range of practical values in accordance with one or more embodiments. For example, the crate-based fire starter structure 100 may fit within a footprint of less than 10 square inches, for example, 3 inches by 3 inches (e.g., 3″×3″), a footprint as large as 40 square feet, for example, 8 feet by 5 feet (e.g., 8′×5′), and/or any dimensions in between. The thickness (e.g., a measurement of the lateral dimension that is perpendicular to the length dimension, where the length dimension is greater than the lateral dimension) of the rigid crate elements (e.g., slats, end pieces, lock-in elements, tiers of kindling lattice work, etc.) may use heterogeneous material thicknesses ranging from about 1/16″ up to about 4″, depending on the size of the overall crate dimensions, target burn duration, design preferences, etc. Similarly, the air gap size between slats may be homogenous or heterogenous for a specific crate design and may range from about 1/16″ up to about 1″, depending on the dimensions of the overall crate, the density of gaps, width of the slats, and the like. Given the function of the air gaps to not only ensure adequate access to oxygen for the growing fire, but also to enable focused air flow over the fire, it is contemplated to manufacture the air gap density and dimensions for a specific crate-design to ensure optimum flame growth and height, which will depend on the geometry of the crate footprint, number of sides comprised of slats compared to solid surfaces, whether or not the bottom of the crate is comprised of slats or a solid surface, width and density of the slats, number air gaps per side containing slats, and/or number air gaps per bottom containing slats, etc.

FIG. 6A depicts a perspective view of an example crate-based fire starter structure 100 with elevation elements in the form of attached feet with a circular footprint and cut out handles according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 6B depicts a side view of the example crate-based fire starter structure 100 with elevation elements in the form of attached feet with a circular footprint and cut out handles according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 6C depicts a cross-sectional view illustrating a primary air flow from beneath the housing, which is enhanced by the elevation elements, and a secondary air flow from the sides of the example crate-based fire starter structure 100 according to one or more embodiments.

Through use of elevation elements 610, a primary source of air flow 640 to the fire within the interior of the crate may be generated from the heat of the growing fire pulling cooler outside air through the air gaps 106 between slats 102, 104 at the bottom of the crate housing of the crate-based fire starter structure 100, for one or more embodiments where the bottom of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 contains air gaps 106. For one or more embodiments not incorporating the elevation elements 610, air flow may be somewhat impeded when the bottom of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 is in intimate contact with a flat underlying surface. In such a case without the elevation elements 610, air flow from the bottom may be severely restricted to only the cross-section of air gaps 106 at the edges of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 between the slats 102, 104 where the slats are connected to the exterior end pieces 108 rather than the more optimal case where air flow is possible along the entire additive area of the air gaps 106 along the bottom of the crate-based fire starter structure 100. In such a case without the elevation elements 610, air flow is primarily restricted to intake from air gaps 107 at the sides of the crate based fire starter structure 100 between the slats 103. To improve air flow in the case where the bottom of the crate housing does contain slats 102, 104 with air gaps 106, elevation elements 610 may be incorporated into the design architecture.

Elevation elements 610 may be implemented in various forms. As some examples, the elevation elements 610 may be implemented in the form of feet of varying footprints, legs, and/or risers. The elevation elements 610 may be formed as separate add-on components and/or as extensions of other existing components, such as extension of the slats 104 and/or extensions of the vertical inside supports 430. For example, select slats at the bottom of the crate-based fire starter structure 100, such as the wider slats 104, may be made of a thicker material compared to the narrower slats 102 in the form of risers, thereby creating a separation distance between the bottom of the narrower slats 102 and the underlying surface to enhance air flow. As another example, for designs containing vertical inside supports 430 as depicted in FIG. 4A, 4B, 4C, the vertical inside supports 430 may be extended in length to some distance below the bottom of the crate housing (e.g., below the bottom surface of the narrower slats 102) of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 to create legs, thereby forming a separation distance between the bottom of the slats 102, 104 and the underlying surface to enhance air flow. Beyond extensions of existing components, add-on components may be used to elevate the bottom of the crate slats 102, 104 from the underlying surface to enhance air flow. For example, square wooden dowel rods may be attached to the bottom of the crate housing of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 in a vertical, horizontal, or off-axis orientation relative to edges of the crate footprint, acting as another form of riser to elevate the crate housing. Elevation elements 610, such as feet, may also be attached to the bottom of the crate housing to elevate the crate housing (e.g., the bottom surface of slats 102, 104) above the underlying surface. These feet may have a circular, triangular, square, rectangular, polygonal, and/or irregular shape footprint and/or cross-section.

While secondary air flow 630 from the sides of the crate housing of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 may be dominate for certain crate designs, especially for crate designs with a solid bottom surface (i.e., the slats 102, 104 are replaced with a solid piece of wood), air flow 640 from the bottom of the crate housing may generally offer a better source of air flow given that a crate design may have a width dimension (e.g., in the x axis) that is greater than its height dimension (e.g., in the z axis), meaning a greater cross-sectional area for air gaps on the bottom of the crate housing compared to the combined cross-sectional area for air gaps on the two sides of the crate housing. For this reason, air flow from the bottom of the crate is referred to herein as the primary air flow 640, as depicted in FIG. 6C. For the design to take advantage of the cross-sectional area offered by air gaps 106 on the bottom of the crate housing, the crate housing may be equipped to utilize the elevation through use of the elevation elements 610.

FIG. 6A further illustrates additional cutout crate handles 620 which may be added as decorative elements and/or functional elements for convenience in handling the crate-based fire starter 100. These cutout handles many be implemented as additive elements, such as combustible rope or cabinet-style handles, or subtractive elements, such as recessed or cutout handles 620, cut into the sides of the crate. As seen in FIG. 6A, subtractive cutout handles 620 are shown in FIG. 6A, 6B.

More details regarding mechanisms of assembly are provided. To rigidly assemble the crate-based fire starter housing of the crate-based fire starter structure 100, there are several available options beyond the basic approach of using butt joints as illustrated so far. Particularly, assembly of these components may be accomplished by applying a number of different forms of wood joinery, adhesives, and/or fasteners or combinations thereof. This may take the form of a homogenous application of a particular joint or heterogenous integration of multiple forms of wood joinery, such as a basic butt, mitered butt, biscuit joint, half-lap joint, box joint, rabbet joint, dado, tongue and groove, pocket joint, mortise and tenon, half-blind dove tail, and/or other forms of wood joinery practiced or known by one of ordinary skill in the art. These may also be applied in combination with fasteners, such as brads, nails, staples, screws, dowel joints, and/or dowel pins, as well as with the use of a material-appropriate adhesives, such as wood glue.

FIG. 7A is an image illustrating an assembled version of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 (depicted in FIGS. 1, 2A) according to one or more embodiments. In FIG. 7A, the ignition layer 112 is comprised of untreated fine excelsior and the remaining pieces are constructed from red oak. A company logo 710 has been branded in the decorative top-side, center slat 126 within the larger circular center 128. FIG. 7B illustrates the assembled version in FIG. 7A of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 within an indoor wood burning stove post-ignition with a match, now in the blaze phase, thereby demonstrating the relatively tall vertical flame possible that arises from the crate-based fire starter 100 due to the advantage of enhanced air flow inherent in the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates an image of crate-based fire starter bundling and packaging according to one or more embodiments. The crate-based fire starter structure 100 may be bundled together with matches within a matchbox 830, as depicted in FIG. 8 . The items can be bundled as part of a package 800. The package 800 may include a mailer box 810 that houses a packaging insert 820 that secures and displays the crate-based fire starter structure 100 and the matchbox 830, thereby providing a means of shipping the fire starter as part of an out-of-the-box bundle that contains all necessary elements to start a fire and bring it to the blaze phase (as depicted in FIG. 7B).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method 900 of lighting a crate-based fire starter structure 100 according to one or more embodiments. The method 900 of lighting a crate-based fire starter structure 100 may depend (but is not required to) in part on where the crate is lit, specifically whether a fireplace grate is present in the location of the fire. Nevertheless, the method can include a place, lighting, and feeding as discussed below. At block 902 of the method 900, the placement of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 may be guided by the question of whether the fire is going to be lit indoors. At block 904, if the answer is yes, a follow-up consideration is whether the fire will take place within a fireplace having a fireplace grate. At block 906, if the crate-based fire starter structure 100 is used indoors and within a fireplace having a fireplace grate, the crate-based fire starter structure 100 is placed underneath the fireplace grate. At block 908, on the other hand, if the crate-based fire starter structure 100 is for an outdoor fire, the crate-based fire starter structure 100 is placed within a fire safe burn location. For example, the crate-based fire starter structure 100 may be placed within a fire pit or barbeque if lit outdoors. The crate-based fire starter structure 100 may be placed within a wood burning stove or fireplace without a fireplace grate if burned indoors. At block 910, once the crate-based fire starter structure 100 has been placed in a fire-safe location, the ignition layer 112 may be lit using a match, lighter, striker, and/or other small flame starter, where the flame quickly grows into a blaze. At block 912, with crate-based fire starter structure 100 having a sufficient flame size, the fire may be feed with additional combustible fuel, such as firewood.

For illustration purposes and not limitation, various images of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 are provided. FIGS. 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 highlight examples of the exterior housing for the crate-based fire starter structure 100, according to one or more embodiments. FIGS. 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D illustrates various images of interior elements of the crate-based fire starter structure 100, according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 10 is an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 10 directs attention to a side of the crate-based fire starter structure. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 12 is a top-down view of an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 13 is an image capturing an exterior of the base of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 14 is an image of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 14 directs attention to another side of the crate-based fire starter structure than FIG. 10 .

FIG. 15A is an image of disassembled interior elements of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 15B is an image of an assembled first tier of kindling lattice 113 mounted on interior suspension elements 110 of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 15C is an image of an assembled first tier of kindling lattice 113 and second tier of kindling lattice 121 mounted on interior suspension elements 110 of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 15D is an image of an assembled first tier of kindling lattice 113 and second tier of kindling lattice 121 mounted on interior suspension elements 110 of an example crate-based fire starter structure according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 15D illustrates a different side than FIG. 15C.

In one or more embodiments, the crate-based fire starter structure 100 comprises an exterior crate housing having at least three sides and a base. The exterior crate housing of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 may include slats 102, 104 (e.g., base or bottom), exterior end pieces 108 (e.g., lateral sides), and/or exterior slats 103 (e.g., longitudinal sides). At least one side and/or base includes slats with air gaps between the slats. For example, slats can be used in place of any solid/monolithic piece as the exterior end pieces 108. The longitudinal sides are illustrated with slats 103 but they could have been a solid/monolithic piece instead of slats. The base/bottom is illustrated with slats 102, 104. The remaining sides and/or base without slats are solid walls with no periodic openings or gaps (e.g., without air gaps 106 and/or without air gaps 107). Interior layers of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 include an ignition layer 112 and one to several tiers of kindling lattice (such as the first tier of kindling lattice 113, the second tier of kindling lattice 121, and other tiers of kindling lattice formed with any design as discussed herein). The crate-based fire starter structure 100 includes lock-in element(s) 124 at the top of the crate housing and a decorative element on the top side of the crate housing, such as the large circular center 128 on the decorative top-side center slat 126. Fasteners, wood joinery, and/or adhesive may be utilized to attach and/or hold together the exterior housing.

The crate-based fire starter structure 100 is configured to have a general shape for the base, which can be a solid piece or comprised of slats 102, 104, and the shape can be triangular, quadrilateral, or a many-sided polygon with a number of sides greater than four. In one or more embodiments, the crate-based fire starter structure 100 has sides of the exterior crate housing that are comprised of slats 103, and the sides are attached to either adjacent solid sides (such as exterior end pieces 108) and/or to interior support elements 430 that extend from the bottom to the top of the interior.

In the crate-based fire starter structure 100, the ignition layer 112 within the interior crate housing is spread along the bottom and is comprised of one or more wood-based components, such as sawdust, excelsior, tinder shreds, wood chips, and/or wood chucks, and is optionally combined with a wax, such as paraffin wax, or resin.

In the crate-based fire starter structure 100, the first tier of the kindling lattice of the one to several tiers of kindling lattice are supported above the ignition layer 112 by suspension elements, which can implemented as slotted interior brackets of interior suspension elements 110 attached to the interior of the housing or implemented as vertical slots 302, 304, 306, such as a dado, cut into a portion of the solid walls (not shown) or as slots 442 cut into slats 440 of the exterior crate housing, with kindling pieces of the first tier each inserting into the slots on the brackets, slats, or solid walls.

In the crate-based fire starter structure 100, the number of tiers of kindling lattice can be two or more and at least two of the pieces of kindling within at least one of the kindling lattice tiers contains, notches (e.g., trenches 116), such as a dado cut, v-groove, round cut, and/or rough cut, that immobilize the pieces of kindling in adjacent tiers of kindling lattice, preserving a predetermined distance between kindling pieces of the adjacent tiers. For example, the (first) tier of kindling lattice 113 has trenches 116 to immobilize pieces of kindling 122 in the (adjacent) second tier of kindling lattice 121.

The lock-in elements 124, 510, 520, 530, such as slats, a frame, or one structure having a secondary interior design, are attached to the top of the exterior crate housing, in order to secure and contain the one to several tiers of kindling lattice within the interior of the crate housing. The lock-in elements 124, 510, 520, 530 may be attached to the exterior end pieces 108 and/or slats 103.

The decorative element on the top side of the crate housing includes a decorative cut out shape and an icon, such as a company logo 710 or brand, as depicted by the large circular center 128 on the decorative top-side center slat 126.

The fasteners used to connect any of the wooden pieces of the crate-based fire starter structure 100 may include brads, nails, staples, screws, dowel joints, and/or dowel pins or any other fasteners that may be applied by one of ordinary skill in the art. The wood joinery attaching the pieces, with or without adhesive, may include basic butts, mitered butts, tongue and groove, biscuit joints, pocket joints, rabbet joints, mortise and tenon, dovetail, box joint, dado, half-lap joint, etc.

According to one or more embodiments for the crate-based fire starter structure 100, the sides, base, tiers of kindling lattice, bracing element(s), and decorative element are comprised of combustible wood, which can be smooth or rough cut, including maple, beech, black locust, ash, oak, birch, apple, pecan, hickory, osage orange, pine, moss wood, aspen, and/or cherry. Other types of wood may include alder, basswood, boxelder, buckeye, catalpa, chestnut, coffee tree, cottonwood, dogwood, fir, elm, hackberry, hemlock, honey locust, juniper, larch, locust, mulberry, pinyon, poplar, cedar, spruce, sycamore, walnut, willow, etc.

A method of starting a fire includes placing fire starter in a fire safe location, lighting the ignition layer, and adding firewood. The fire safe location is a fireplace, either above or below a fireplace grate or without a fireplace grate, or within a wood burning stove, grill, camp, or pit fire. A flame, via a lit match, lighter or torch, is introduced to the ignition layer through the top of the crate housing between the pieces of kindling lattice and/or through the air gaps between on the slats on either the sides or bottom of the exterior crate housing. Firewood may be added above, on top of, and/or around the crate to grow the fire to the desired size.

One or more embodiments of the invention provide crate-based fire starter solutions. One or more embodiments disclose a luxury fire starter solution that rapidly and reliably nurtures a fire within a fireplace, wood stove, grill, camp, and/or fire pit from a starting flame to a blaze. The fire starter solution is constructed to operate in a broad range of environmental conditions. This is achieved with a crate-based design, delivering focused air flow and an internal layered progression of combustible materials, to which logs can be added to further fuel the established fire.

Despite the abundance of fire starter products on the market, available solutions can suffer from the 1) necessity for surface preparation on, e.g. damp surfaces, 2) need for manual setup steps, 3) use and manual arrangement of multiple products (e.g., excelsior fire starter, fatwood, and kindling) as well as occasional intervention to bring the growing flame to a sufficiently large blaze from which larger logs can be reliably ignited, 4) vulnerability to extinguishing winds, especially in the early flame growth phases, and/or 5) look, feel and/or burn experience that is unnatural. While some existing products and solution may attempt to overcome one or more of these issues, one or more embodiments address each of these pain points for the practitioner as described in the herein. One or more embodiments are configured to circumvent the need for setup, offer wind resistance, provide optimized airflow, bypass the need for surface preparation, provide a robust architecture, provide tailor-by-design burn time and experience, provide a unique burn experience, and provide an aesthetically pleasing look and feel. Features and distinguishing characteristics of the crate-based design are its aesthetic appeal, increased protection of the growing fire from environmental factors, and operationally important, optimizable air flow, leading to an impressive flame height of around 24″-36″ for even a modestly sized crate design, e.g., 5.5″×7.5″×2.75″ (W×L×H), where (″) is a symbol for inch(es).

Various embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the related drawings. Alternative embodiments can be devised without departing from the scope of this invention. Although various connections and positional relationships (e.g., over, below, adjacent, etc.) are set forth between elements in the following description and in the drawings, persons skilled in the art will recognize that many of the positional relationships described herein are orientation-independent when the described functionality is maintained even though the orientation is changed. These connections and/or positional relationships, unless specified otherwise, can be direct or indirect, and the present invention is not intended to be limiting in this respect. Accordingly, a coupling of entities can refer to either a direct or an indirect coupling, and a positional relationship between entities can be a direct or indirect positional relationship. As an example of an indirect positional relationship, references in the present description to forming layer “A” over layer “B” include situations in which one or more intermediate layers (e.g., layer “C”) is between layer “A” and layer “B” as long as the relevant characteristics and functionalities of layer “A” and layer “B” are not substantially changed by the intermediate layer(s).

For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to making and using aspects of the invention may or may not be described in detail herein. In particular, various aspects of carpentry, woodworking, and joinery together with various aspects of adhesion and fasteners to implement the various technical features described herein are well known. Accordingly, in the interest of brevity, many conventional implementation details are only mentioned briefly herein or are omitted entirely without providing the well-known system and/or process details.

In some embodiments, various functions or acts can take place at a given location and/or in connection with the operation of one or more apparatuses or systems. In some embodiments, a portion of a given function or act can be performed at a first device or location, and the remainder of the function or act can be performed at one or more additional devices or locations.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

The diagrams depicted herein are illustrative. There can be many variations to the diagram or the steps (or operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For instance, the actions can be performed in a differing order or actions can be added, deleted or modified. Also, the term “coupled” describes having a signal path between two elements and does not imply a direct connection between the elements with no intervening elements/connections therebetween. All of these variations are considered a part of the present disclosure.

The following definitions and abbreviations are to be used for the interpretation of the claims and the specification. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having,” “contains” or “containing,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, a mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.

Additionally, the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” Any embodiment or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The terms “at least one” and “one or more” are understood to include any integer number greater than or equal to one, i.e., one, two, three, four, etc. The terms “a plurality” are understood to include any integer number greater than or equal to two, i.e., two, three, four, five, etc. The term “connection” can include both an indirect “connection” and a direct “connection.”

The terms “about,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and variations thereof, are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments described herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A structure comprising: a crate housing comprising combustible material; interior layers comprising an ignition material and at least one tier of kindling lattice, the at least one tier of kindling lattice being positioned laterally in the crate housing and being suspended over a base; and at least one lock-in element at a top of the crate housing.
 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein: the crate housing comprises sides and the base; at least one of the sides or the base comprises slats with an air gap between the slats; and remaining sides or the base without the slats are solid walls having no periodic air gaps.
 3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the base is formed to be a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, or many-sided polygon shape, the many-sided polygon shape having a greater number of sides than a number of sides constructable for the base having the triangular shape or the rectangular shape.
 4. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least one or more sides of the crate housing comprising slats, the slats being attached to at least one adjacent solid side, to interior support elements, or to both the at least one adjacent solid side and the interior support elements.
 5. The structure of claim 1, wherein a portion of the ignition material is positioned below the at least one tier of kindling lattice, the ignition material comprises one or more wood-based components.
 6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the one or more wood-based components comprise sawdust, excelsior, tinder shreds, wood chips, wood chucks, or any combination of any two or more of the foregoing.
 7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the one or more wood-based components are combined with a wax or other combustible material.
 8. The structure of claim 1, wherein: the interior layers comprise a plurality of tiers of kindling lattice, a first tier of kindling lattice of the plurality of tiers of kindling lattice being the at least one tier of kindling lattice; and the plurality of tiers of kindling lattice are supported above the ignition material by suspension elements.
 9. The structure of claim 8, wherein the suspension elements comprise slotted interior brackets attached to an interior of the crate housing.
 10. The structure of claim 8, wherein: the crate housing comprises at least two sides formed of solid walls or slats; and the suspension elements comprise vertical slots cut into a portion of the solid walls or the slats of the crate housing, such that kindling pieces of the first tier of kindling lattice are inserted into the vertical slots of the solid walls or the slats.
 11. The structure of claim 1, wherein: the interior layers comprise a plurality of tiers of kindling lattice in which the at least one tier of kindling lattice is adjacent to an adjacent tier of kindling lattice; and at least two pieces of kindling in the at least one tier of kindling lattice comprise notches formed to immobilize pieces of kindling in the adjacent tier of kindling lattice, such that the notches maintain a predetermined distance between pieces of kindling in the at least one tier of kindling lattice and the pieces of kindling in the adjacent tier of kindling lattice.
 12. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one lock-in element is attached to the top of the crate housing so as to secure and contain the at least one tier of kindling lattice within an interior of the crate housing.
 13. The structure of claim 1, wherein a top side of the at least one lock-in element comprises a decorative element.
 14. The structure of claim 13, wherein the decorative element comprises a decorative cut out shape, an icon, or both the decorative cut out shape and the icon.
 15. The structure of claim 1, wherein the combustible material comprises wood.
 16. A method of using a crate-based fire starter structure comprising; positioning the crate-based fire starter structure at a location, the crate-based fire starter structure comprising an ignition material and at least one tier of kindling lattice, the at least one tier of kindling lattice being positioned laterally in a crate housing and being suspended over a base of the crate-based fire starter structure; and igniting the ignition material.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adding combustible material.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the location comprises a fireplace, either above or below a fireplace grate, a wood burning stove, a grill, a campsite, or a pit fire.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein igniting the ignition material comprises introducing a flame to the ignition material through a top of the crate-based fire starter structure between pieces of the at least one tier of kindling lattice, through air gaps between slats on sides of the crate-based fire starter structure, through air gaps between slats forming the base of the crate-based fire starter structure, or any combination thereof.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein firewood is added above the crate-based fire starter structure, on top of the crate-based fire starter structure, around the crate-based fire starter structure, or any combination thereof. 